Bello and Dino Punctured Relationship: Give Peace A Chance for The Sake of Those God Almighty Entrusted into Your Hands, Certainly Not Your Fault Prince Audu Died

It is time for former Senator Dino Melaye and  Governor Yahaya Bello  to call a truce in the interest of Kogi State. Their reputation is at an all-time low and a return to dialogue will be a start in rebuilding the state. Failure to pursue a peace PAC with corresponding action retards both of you further away from being a model to the young and emerging youth. Since Prince Audu demise his forlorn supporters are wallowing in abject poverty without life transforming plans from both of you to them all in the name of political differences. The same history may be replicated to your die-hard supporters because power is ephemeral.  

Clearly, the bitterness between both men is plunging the state into a major crisis that will lead to further loss of lives and property. Kogites are urging you as political gladiators and  representatives of the masses to give much thought to the lives that this crisis has taken and will engulf if it continues.

Without the assistant of rocket science, Dino Melaye was a strong supporter of Yahaya Bello at the most critical time of his life and destiny. The emergence of Yahaya Bello as governor was very divisive. The deputy to Abubakar Audu (who won the election but died before he was sworn in), James Faleke laid claim to the gubernatorial ticket but the All Progressives Congress, APC, had other plans. The party picked the second runner up at its primaries, Yahaya Bello as replacement for the late Abubakar Audu in the supplementary elections.

 At Bello’s swearing in, where Senator Dino Melaye was the master of ceremony, he called for all grieving parties to support Bello to unite the state.

 “Kogi people voted for Audu but that God voted for Bello.” : Dino Melaye said in the spirit of sportsmanship, elderstateman and political ombudsman On January 27, 2016.

Melaye said it was God who endorsed Bello to  govern the state but not up to six months later, Melaye and Bello fell out and did not resolve their differences till the PDP lawmaker was swept out of the senate.

Details of how the cordiality between both men became fractured is not clear. From the court of public opinion some holds the view Governor Bello stoic lifestyle is the cause. Bello insisted on appointing his local government coordinator for Ijumu Local Government Area, Taofiq Isah as the chairman of the local government caretaker committee, the same local government where Melaye comes from. Melaye was said to have also dared the impossible by rebuffing the proposal.

Recall, Governor Bello and Senator Melaye came from different tendencies in the Kogi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Melaye had supported the late Prince Abubakar Audu who won the governorship ticket of the party against the aspiration of Bello. Audu as the APC godfather in the state had also influenced the Senatorial ticket for Kogi West to Melaye. The sudden demise of Prince Audu at the verge of victory November 2015  is bound to generate clash of interest, reorientation and adjustment. After all, in politics there is no permanent friend but interest. 

Vanguard, 27 June, 2017 however, reported that  Senator Melaye seriously disputed the account, that his dispute with the governor has nothing to do with Isah’s appointment as chairman of the caretaker committee as he insisted that the administration was using the caretaker committees to siphon the funds of the state.

Insisting that he was fighting for Kogi workers and pensioners the lawmaker said:

“Yahaya Bello collected N20 billion from the Federal Government as bailout fund. Still, he refused to settle workers. He also collected N11 billion from the Paris Club fund. Still, he refused to pay workers and pensioners.”

In June 2017, a process to recall Senator Melaye from the National Assembly was kickstarted.

The Senator characteristically has accused the governor of "shooting the moon and boxing the air."

Melaye further said, "Spending over one billion naira taxpayers money on an unproductive venture, when salaries and pensions have not been paid, is wicked. I will continue to defend the poor and defenceless masses of Kogi state. If I die, I die. We must rescue the state." 

Suddenly news broke out that Dino Melaye was in detention at an Abuja hospital after allegedly jumping out of a police van to try escape custody. The incident is the latest in a series of scandals linked to the colourful politician, Dino.

The chain of events that led to Mr Melaye's exit from a police vehicle, through its window, began in mid-March.

That month, the police arrested two members of an armed gang. Kabiru Saidu, also known as Osama, and Nuhu Salisu, nicknamed "Small", confessed to taking part in a number of kidnappings and armed robberies. They also accused Senator Melaye, 44, of supplying them with money and weapons - charges he denied.

As a result, the police declared that Mr Melaye was wanted on a charge of supplying illegal arms to his political supporters, and they even said they had asked the international police agency Interpol to issue a warrant for his arrest in case he tried to flee the country.

Dino Melaye was arrested 23 April 2018 on the international wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport by NIS as they claim his name was on the watch list of the Interpol after the Nigeria police declared him wanted.

On 2 May 2018, Senator Melaye was arraigned in court by the Police on Wednesday at Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Abuja. He was granted bail in the sum of N90million by the court, having met the bail condition but was rearrested by the police shortly after his release.

A seven-day siege was placed on his Abuja Maitama residence by the personnel of the force. Melaye surrendered to the police on 4 January 2019. The police alleged that He was involved in the shooting of a police officer, Sgt Danjuma Saliu in Kogi State in July of 2018.

On 24 July 2018 Melaye alongside 13 other Senators of the All Progressives Congress, APC, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for speaking in his favour while he was away.

“The battle to salvage this country from financial scavengers and economic canker worms. To me it is a battle of no retreat, no surrender.” Dino said

"We must salvage this country together we don't have any other to call our own. As my voice get better, it will get louder. I shall not cease to ask questions where necessary.” He added

Subsequently, Melaye is no stranger when it comes to attempts been made on his life, back in 2017 he survived an assassination attempt as his cars were riddled with bullet holes.

Melaye perhaps took the side of the workers by calling on the governor to clear the backlog of salaries. Shortly after his call, there was an assassination attempt on the life of Dino Melaye. 

Unknown gunmen attacked his home in Ayetoro-Gbede, Ijumu local government area of Kogi state past midnight.

The senator accused the governor of sponsoring the attempt on his life. The Ijumu Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Taofeek Isah was arrested in connection with the attempted assassination.

It would be recalled that in 2019, the Peoples Democratic Party in Kogi state alleged that there was a plot to assassinate Melaye.

Nigeria’s former senator who represented Kogi West senatorial district, Dino Melaye, shared details of how he escaped an assassination attempt. On Sunday, May 31, announced on his Twitter account @dino_melaye that he escaped an assassination attack at Kogi state polytechnic.

He tweeted: "God i thank you for this day. This was the day assains attempted my life in front of Kogi State Polytechnic. Instead of killing me the ring leader Saka died. God is a good God. Oluwa seun. Chineke edima...na gode Ubangijin dunia. SDM." 

Recently, Dino Melaye pointed accusing finger on Yahaya Bello government for mobilizing hoodlums to attack his village house under the guise of #ENDSARS protesters. Dino's allegation, no doubt is established based on actionable intelligence

The former Senator representing Kogi West, Dino, also in a tweet, claimed that the thugs left the Government House in Lokoja to his village, Aiyetoro Gbede to destroy his house.

He stated that the people of his village, however, prevented the attacks on his house.

The former legislator also posted a video showing the presence of security personnel around the house. 

“Loaded thugs left government house Lokoja now on their way to my house in Aiyetoro Gbede. Their mission is to go destroy the house.

While we wait for a counter reaction on the recent allegations made by Dino Melaye, the government has always denied claims of sponsoring any assassination attempt on him. 

Kingsley Fanwo, Director General on Media and Publicity to the Governor of Kogi State says trouble started following the governor’s refusal to share the state’s resources with a few people.  Also, the appointment of Taofeek Isah as chairman of Ijumu government against Dino’s wishes contributed to the tension in their relationship. 

Funny enough, Governor Yaya Bello and Dino Melaye knows how to set politics  aside to warmly condole themselves at a time of lose of a loved one. They however finds it difficult to extend such bipartisan cooperation to settle conflicting issues among themselves. 

Yahaya Bello sent a  Condolence Letter To Dino Melaye On The Death Of His Mother 3 May, 2019 with warmth, love and care 

“I received with shock, news of the passing of your mother, Deaconess Comfort Melaye. Words are insufficient to condole one on a mother's death,... .On behalf of the Great People of Kogi State, my family and myself, I offer .. Do keep us notified of funeral plans.”

 Similary, Dino Melaye sends his own message to Yahaya Bello Monday, March 16, over the demise of Hajia Hauwau Bello at 101 noting that “ no mother is old enough to die also prayed for the governor and the family in his condolence message. So, who is really fooling who ?

Behind the scene, there is a genuine human connections between the two perceived enemies going by the idiosyncrasies of their condolence messages.  Kogites are bigger than the two of you to drag anyone into the mud of your ostrich game. 

Remember you cannot terminate a life you did not help to create. If there is a voice like Martin Luther King Jnr, there must be a voice like Dino Melaye to make heard those who cannot speak. If there is a voice like Madiba, Nelson Mandela, there must be a voice like Governor Yahaya Eleojo Bello to set kogites free from directionless direction and navigate to a better future. 

Until the two of you are older than God, that  is when kogites will follow a leadership precedent lacking vigour and value for  the other person’s perspective, even if it differs from your own. The same token of power of caring—expressing authentic affection, warmth, and concern should be used to bring the cold war to an abrupt end. Enough of this political shenanigans !

- Inah Stephen Eyiene, Lokoja